East Haven Police Officer On Routine Patrol Interrupts A Drug Deal, New Haven Man Charged

EAST HAVEN, CT—A routine nighttime patrol on Frontage Road last weekend led to the arrest of a New Haven man for dealing narcotics in a parking lot, police said

It was just before 9 p.m. last Sunday when Officer Stephen Marsico saw activity in the lot that he believed to be consistent with a narcotics transaction, police said.

Marsico went up to the car and "made contact with the driver, identified as Gilberto Rodriguez Jr., 37, of New Haven.

"During the encounter, Rodriguez fled on foot, prompting a foot pursuit through several nearby properties," police posted on Facebook. "Rodriguez eventually stopped and was taken into custody without further incident."

As the investigation continued, officers learned the plate on the Audi Rodriguez had been driving belonged to another vehicle.

"EHPD K-9 Mack was deployed and conducted an exterior sniff of the Audi, during which he alerted to the presence of narcotics," police said.

Several bags containing drugs were seized, among them 13 individually packaged bags containing suspected crack cocaine, 92 individually packaged bags containing suspected fentanyl, and an additional quantity of suspected crack cocaine, police said. Officers also seized $814 in cash.

Rodriguez was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, sale of narcotics, possession with the intent to distribute, and interfering with an officer.

Rodriguez was processed and later released after posting a $50,000 surety bond, court records show. He is scheduled to appear in Superior Court Sept. 9.